Saab 9-5, Volkswagen CC Named IIHS Top Safety Picks

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the 2011 Saab 9-5 and the 2011 and 2012 Volkswagen CC Top Safety Pick status for earning the top rating of “Good” in its roof strength test, as well as front, side and rear crash tests. To be named a Top Safety Pick, vehicles must also have standard electronic stability control.

The IIHS says in a press release that only the front-wheel drive VW CC is a Top Safety Pick because “the heavier all-wheel drive version is rated acceptable in the roof strength test.”

These latest Top Safety Pick designations come after a round of roof strength tests on eight midsize to large affordable and luxury vehicles. The 2011 Lexus ES 350 also earned a “Good” rating in this latest round of roof strength tests, but because it is only rated “Marginal” in rear crash tests, the ES 350 is not a Top Safety Pick. In roof strength tests, the IIHS also rated the BMW 3 Series, Chevrolet Impala (models built after July 2010), Infiniti G, Lexus IS 250/350 and Saab 9-3 “Acceptable.”